The Fleming Family

Passport To Paris!

2012-02-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Ever have something in mind but just can't find it? I searched high and low for Paris themed bridal shower invites, and I had something of an idea rattling around in my head, but I could not find it anywhere. Then I came upon this shop on Etsy.com and she had made little Paris Passports for her daughter's 1 year birthday. I thought they were perfect! But then I saw the price tag... Ouch! I just could not bring myself to pay the exuberant amount they wanted. And being the big DIYourselfer that I am, I thought "I can do that myself!" And so I did.

I had a lot of people ask where I got them and when I told them I made them myself, they asked how. So here it is! My big secret!

PHOTOSHOP!

Or in my case, since I can't seem to afford photoshop, GIMP(its free). Ha! And my total cost for this project? About $15 for 40 invites!

First, if you have a real passport take a good look. I tried to go fairly close to the general format. Plus, you need a passport or something similar in size for the stencil.

Second, you'll need whatever print paper you want to use. I bought about 20 sheets (12x12) from Michael's on sale which was about $10. However, regular 8x10 size is best for this project. I had white card stock already for the inside of the passport and airline tickets. And I bought the black ribbon for $1.25 from Walmart.

To start, you need to make a stencil with the passport or whatever you're using, so that later you can use it to cut each passport out to size. Take the passport, open it and lay it flat, and trace it on a regular piece of paper. Then cut it out. Stencil done!

Start your design for the front of your passport on your Photoshop program. You can even use regular Microsoft word as well for this stage. Use whatever font you like. I used regular Times New Roman. Adjust size to however big you want the words to be. Make sure there is enough space between the word "Passport" and the "country name" at the bottom. You need space for the round center symbol that comes later. And align to the right. When you print you have to keep in mind it will be folded. Also, I fit about 2 invites to a sheet of paper to conserve supplies. As a test, print on regular paper first and hold your stencil up to see if it fits. Adjust placement as needed. Once done, print!

For the center symbol, find a usable image or make one of your own on the photoshop program for the center front. Its not as hard as it looks! Just a black outlined circle with the "Paris" image from Google and then I added my sisters name etc. Print how many of these you will need. You will be cutting them out and gluing on front later.

Now for the inside....this is the same as far as figuring out the size. Use your cut out stencil. You can have it say whatever you want or use the wording I made up. Its a passport so it should look official so to speak. Use a picture of the person whom the party is for and the details. Use different fonts like a real passport does. When it looks how you want, print!

And now comes the fun part. You need to cut them all out with the stencil, but don't round corners yet...once everything is ready, place the inside and the outside together with regular ol' glue sticks. When they are nice and together, round the corners on the opening side using scissors or that fun scrapbook tool.

Last, cut out and glue your center design on the front. And voila! You're done!

If you want to do the airline ticket as well, its a bit simpler. Using a Photoshop program, make a basic template to your liking with the details of the party. I used all the same info from the passport. Add elements like a barcode, square outlined letters in a bold color for seating or gates. I used an Eiffel Tower image for a light background. And Shh..... I stole the AirFrance logo! Or make up an airline name. Arrange to your liking. I added a light veritcal line to make the "stub" effect. Then I cut them all out, and to add the remaining look of the end stub, I used scissors to make a small indent at the spot where the line drew through. And I chose to round the corners on the tickets as well.

On a side not, there are several free templates for airline tickets I found thru Google.

For the finishing touch I inserted the ticket into the passport and tied a black ribbon around them. If I had had more energy I would have liked to have made a travel sleeve. If you design one, let me know! Then into the envelopes they went!

I hope this was easy to follow. I don't write directions all that often except recipes. Haha! Enjoy and if you have questions don't hesitate to ask!

Happy party planning!

New Look!

2012-01-30T00:22:00.000-08:00

Yes, my blog has been given a small makeover! I spent some time trying to figure out how to make my blog look the way I wanted, not just a general format. First off, you should know I am horrible at anything technological and html code drives me crazy! I managed to google most of the help and tips. Its not that much different, but I wanted a single column and I wanted bigger photos. Simple as that. I think I accomplished it and I think I like the look...Because secondly, I am totally in LOVE with anything chevron patterned! I currently have several swatches of fabric that I ordered for projects in my home. I love its modern look! Then add to that my favorite color scheme of grey, yellow, and white! I love it! So this is my blogs new look. Hopefully, I haven't made any errors in the code that prevents posts or comments or anything! Can you see this? If so, I think it's working! :)

*See the two new posts below of Emma's birthday and rainbow party!

Emma's 6th Birthday Party!

2012-01-30T00:02:00.000-08:00

Somewhere over the rainbow was a rainbow birthday party for Emma! As you can see we had a blast with the Rainbow theme. It seemed like the perfect idea for Emma because she is such a bright and happy little girl! I made the rainbow invites and sent them to school with her(yes I was brave and invited the entire class!). We put up balloons and streamers in all the colors and we put down a blue table cloth on the floor, which was the sky of course, and then made clouds from paper for each of them to sit on. It was lunch in the sky! And the rainbow? The food! We had rainbow drinks and rainbow fruit trays, and rainbow cupcakes, (along with Pizza for lunch), and all the kids wore their favorite color. We played Pin the Cloud on the Rainbow and made Rainbow art with fruit loops. Then Emma opened her gifts and we sang Happy Birthday. Everyone left with a small bag of "gold from the end of the rainbow" as a party favor. But the best success was that the kids had so much fun and that Emma had a great celebration! She LOVED it! Some of the kids did not want to leave. That was proof enough! I wondered how I would top last years party. Well,I did! Now how do I top this next year!?!

Emma is 6!

2012-01-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

Emma is now 6 years old. Where does the time go!?! I have no idea where my tiny baby girl went. She is now a long string bean of a kindergartner!

Some tid bits I asked Emma at age 6:

Favorite color is Purple.

Favorite food is Tortellini soup.

Favorite movie is Phantom of the Opera.(of course)

Favorite book is "I love you this Much."

Favorite friend is Kendall Fry.

Favorite game is now Super Mario Kart on the Wii.

Favorite thing to do is to "go outside and play." Usually with the neighborhood kids. (They still do that nowadays. lol.)

Now some tid bits about Emma via Mom:

Emma is a smart cookie! She is picking up reading and writing and her numbers like a pro! Her teacher review in Novemeber was great! (except that she sometimes doesn't finish work in class on time because she is talking. Eek. That's all me! Sorry Emma!)

She is the BIGGEST sweetheart and cannot give us enough hugs and kisses. When we drop her off and pick her up from school its like a huge class hug. And who is in the middle? Emma!

As the big sister she is very involved with Owen whom she loves to love!...but she is starting to understand that he is competition for our attention. But with that in mind, she is still a very good girl. She is anxious for him to be a bit bigger so they can play. She DOES NOT like that he can get into her toys now that he is moving. Hmmm....who does that remind us of? (Phil! haha!)

Curious is a great description for her at this age. She asks 100 questions a day! Sometimes "I don't know" is not an answer she will accept. Makes me laugh, but its how I was. Maybe still am. :)

When I was her age the movie E.T. scared me! But not Emma. She is not afraid or timid or shy. She is eager, accepting, and so very social. She will talk your ear off, and thats anyone whose eye she catches, from the check out cashier at Walmart to the stranger in the cereal aisle. And I don't know what it is, but she attracts grandmas! They always come over to say how cute she is. Especially those freckles on her nose and cheeks!

Emma accepts things how they are and is just a real trooper. Especially with how much change she has had to deal with this last year. We have moved around and then a new baby in the house. She is a strong spirit!

Emma's innocence is just....perfect. I wish I could bottle her up and keep her like this! But I will have to suffice in enjoying every moment I get. Only a few more years and it begins to fade.

Our home is always full of giggles when Emma is here. We love her so much and are so blessed to have her as our daughter! Its is a privilage...that's not even a big enough word.

So...to another year. If I find the secret to slowing down time I will let you know. Until then, I am going to have to navigate the warp speed!

Happy Birthday Miss Emma!

Christmas Morning!

2012-01-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

After the destruction!

Daddy finally got a Wii!

Owen inspecting a bow. Loved the paper and boxes!

One of the many gifts Emma had on her list! Look at that smile!

We had to wake Owen up if you can believe it. No smiles for us! haha!

One of Santa's gifts to Emma!

Before the destruction began!

We had a very nice Christmas this year! We got to sleep in a little bit(thank you children!) and we had a very nice haul I think! Phil got up when he thought he heard Emma moving around. He started turning on the heaters and caught her inspecting her gifts. haha! So then she came in to drag me out of bed. We even had to wake Owen up which was unusual. We sorted out the gifts and let the kids rip in! As before, Owen loved the paper and boxes. Once we took a few toys out of their packages, he did find them entertaining, but then went back to the paper and boxes. Emma got most of what was on her list. Each time she opened something she had wanted, she'd have this look of shock, and then make some sort of funny exclamation. She really enjoyed herself, and as always, its the most satisfying part of the morning. The lit up faces and enthusiasm of the kiddos.

We had a classic breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. Then we headed off to church. Had a very nice Christmas program. Loved the music! Really set the mood for the rest of the afternoon. After lunch we headed to the middle of the state to have a classic Christmas dinner at my Mom's.

The next day we got to go to Leavensworth which was so fun! What a great place! Best bratwurst ever! Phil had to go back to work Tuesday so he drove back to Spokane Tuesday morning, and me and the kids stayed for a few more days. Overall, it was a very nice holiday this year. We really enjoyed it. It was a memorable Christmas for Owen's 1st!

(see post below for Christmas Eve)

Christmas Eve!!

2012-01-12T23:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas Jammies are a Christmas Eve tradition!

Emma was so excited to open a gift early!

Owen loved the box and banged on it like a drum.

Anticipation...

Owen enjoying himself on his 1st Christmas Eve!

This year Christmas Eve was nice and quiet. It lightly snowed and we decided to spend the day in our jammies while we watched football, played games, and made a few snow angels in the little snow we had. Several friends dropped by to wish us a Merry Christmas which was fun(both bringing treats!). I made Chili and cornbread for dinner and some Christmas cookies. And of course Nana and Popo sent Emma and Owen a set of Christmas jammies to open. It's tradition! Owen loved the paper and the boxes, but he wasn't really interested in what was inside. Emma, however, had a blast and was so excited to wear her new jammies. And of course she was willing to go to bed unusually early. Santa was on his way! We had fun and tracked him online this year. Emma left him cookies and milk and off to bed she went. Phil and I enjoyed an hour or so of peace and quiet before going to bed ourselves. We tried not to stay up late because we knew Emma would be up early in her excitement. To our suprise we all slept until almost 8! Wow! Merry Christmas to us, right? Haha. It was a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas Eve.!

Emma daning with the Wii part dos!

2012-01-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Emma Rockin Out with the Wii!

2012-01-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

Emma and Grandma dancing with the Wii!

2012-01-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Emma's email from Santa

2011-12-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/g0dlx71ds0Nffd7eCb78BPQ?utm_campaign=share-video&utm_medium=share&utm_source=copy-paste

Follow this link and you can see the email Santa sent Emma!

Uh oh!

2011-12-22T01:30:00.000-08:00

Looks who figured out how to pull himself up in his crib!! I think its time to lower the matress a notch! He loves to stand and he loves his crib, so this must be a blast!

Santa's Elf stops by!

2011-12-22T01:21:00.000-08:00

Emma woke up Sunday morning to find that one of Santa's elves had come to check on her and to take her letter to Santa. We found snowy footprints (its northpole snow that never melts) and a note the elf left for Emma. His name is Jolly Jack and his job is to help Santa check the naughty and nice list. And he said, so far, she is still on the nice list. :)

I cannot express some of these moments in words and for those of you who know me, know thats quite the fete! I was bleary eyed when Emma woke us up calling to come see, but the moment you watch your childs eyes light up with fascination and wonder....there are no words. Just this warm tingle and a tear to my eye. Its such a precious thing, childhood. And I am so blessed to have Emma! Its so much fun!

Owen 9 months Old!

2011-12-22T00:18:00.001-08:00

Owen at 9 Months...

Owen is our little Big man! He has that wise look in his eye. Always as though he knows more than we do. And yet he is trapped, so to speak, in this baby body and is learning how to communicate and coordinate. An old soul.

Owen is teething badly. He is very irritable and clingy and I have lost a ton of sleep this last month. He used to sleep thru the night, but now wakes up several times. I have tried everything, but to no avail. Those teeth just need to break thru already!

He is a blanky boy! He LOVES him his soft blankies! He has several, but one in particular he absolutely loves and cuddles. Its the one we brought him home from the hospital in. Its my favorite too. :)

Owen is way ahead of the curve compared to Emma at this stage. Emma was content to sit, jabber, and play. Owen, however, is all over the place! He first learned to roll to where he wanted to go. Then it turned into an army crawl. And just today, he was up on all four, and went a few feet really crawling. We are in for trouble. No more being able to leave him and know where he'll be when we get back!

From the beginning Owen was a great eater and LOVED it! So its a bit of a surprise that Owen is a bit picky when it comes to food nowadays. Its all about the textures. He still likes soft blended baby food and cereal. However, he loves Cheerios! He has great dexterity with his hands and carefully picks them up one at a time with his little fingers. He is very interested in what we are eating. He loves to get a taste even if he doesn't like it. He really likes things like pizza crust, crackers, or bread that he can nom on. This said, he won't eat things like Spaghettios. He spits out the O's. No macaroni and cheese either. And I am talking very fine blend here. Still nope. Ah, but eventually he will.

Owen still loves his bottle. I think we may have an issue taking it away eventually. He can drink from a sippy cup now and we are transitioning to them during the day, but he still has his bedtime bottle. Not looking forward to that last one. haha.

Owen likes music and with a good beat "dances." He also is mesmerized by that creepy Kia Hamster advertise on TV. No matter what he is doing he will stop to watch and bounce with the music. "Party Rock is in the house tonight!..."One day I will catch it on video!

Since Owen was about 2 months old he has loved to stand. So its no surprise its one of his favorite things to do. He holds on to the couch, or your knee, or whatever is in reach. He just loves it and jabbers away and laughs. Fully entertained until his legs give out. Still loves his activity center for this very reason.

Owen loves his swing and thank heavens we managed to not go too long without it when ours broke!

Owen still doesn't really have any hair, but its coming in. Its so soft and fine like silk. I love it. And I love the way he smells. Like baby!

He adores Emma! I think his main motivation to move is so he can eventually keep up with her. Not sure she will be so thrilled about that once he can get to her things. lol.

Owen loves his Daddy! Daddy is the fun guy who throws him in the air, tickles his tummy, and cuddles him with big arms. He gives Daddy the best giggles!

Owen is a big Momma's boy. I always thought it was pretty even between me and Phil after we were all up here together and settled, but recently its been noticeable. He wont stop crying or whining until I am holding him or I come back into the room etc. And then he just wants to cuddle and have mommy hold him. And of course I have no objection with that!(except when I am trying to be productive.) :)

Owen loves to see himself in the mirror. He is fascinated. He gives"the other baby" kisses and pats at the mirror. I need to get this on video too!

Owen is 19 pounds, 29 and 3/4 inches long and a growing baby boy! We are enjoying him so very much and can't believe its already been 9 months. Seems a bit cruel if you ask me! Wanted him so bad and waited and waited. Then he shows up early and its like the clock was put on fast forward! If anyone knows the secret to slow down time, please let me know!

We are beyond blessed. Gratitude isn't enough. Love you little man!

Nothing sweeter than a baby laugh!

2011-12-05T16:26:00.000-08:00

Hearing a baby laugh is so contagious! He was playing with Daddy and was having a blast! He thinks Dad is the coolest!

Wiggle! Wiggle! Wiggle!

2011-12-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Owen just started this little "wiggle" one day. We thought it was hilarious! He does it all the time now. He does it most when he is happy or excited. Its too funny. Especially when he tries to do it while locked in his car seat! :)

1st Holiday Photos for Owen!

2011-12-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

Emma told us that Owen was her present. Melt my heart!

Dashing thru the snow!

Our little ham, Emma! She loves the camera!

Handome boy is 8 months old now!

Love Emma's freckles. Such a sweet girl!

Emma is so excited this year and tells us Owen "has been good too." Guess Santa can stop by! haha!

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my sister Rachel came to visit, and she works for JcPenney photo studio. She got us a crazy deal for $30! Couldn't pass it up to get a few photos for the holidays. I still like outdoor photos best, but these are pretty darn fun! We are all excited for our first Christmas with Owen!

Thanksgiving 2011- Our 1st with Owen!

2011-11-30T22:00:00.000-08:00

Little man is getting so big! His 1st Turkey Day!

Emma stalking the food! She ate all the olives!

Me and Rachel!

Rachel and Mom!

Phil carving the turkey!!

This year was very low key. No big plans. Just nice and quiet. Rachel decided she was going to come up and have Thanksgiving with us since everyone else was busy, and to come and see where we live. She came in on Wednesday and flew out on Saturday. Emma enjoyed it so much! She missed Rachel. We made the traditional Thanksgiving meal: turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, rolls, salad, and an olive tray. Emma ate all the olives before anyone noticed! My mom and her husband Phil stopped by on their way to his daughters house. It was very nice. After our yummy meal we went and saw the movie Arthur Christmas. Pretty darn cute! On Friday we met up with my mom and we went dress shopping with Rachel. I googled for a store with modest dresses here in town so we could all go while she was here. Me and my mom felt we were missin out a little bit. It was super fun! The girl helping her was so nice and me and my mom got to pick stuff out for her to try. We spent almost 2 hours trying on dresses! In the end Rachel came away very happy and we got to be a part of it. That was really nice. We also got to try 2 new restaurants we had wanted to try. And they did not dissappoint! The first was called The Elk Public House. I had a BBQ chicken Quesadilla and it was all I could think about for 2 days! Phil had a French Dip and it was delicious! Then we tried this restaurant by us called Boston Pizza. Its like California Pizza kitchen but 1000 times better. We will for sure be eating there again! haha! Hey its 4 days of food. No one specified it had to be 4 days of turkey. lol. We enjoyed ourselves. Emma loved having Rachel here. And Owen had the best of it. More hands and arms to hold and play with him! He is such a good boy and he enjoyed himself as much as anyone! So grateful for our family! No words are big enough!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-30T21:32:00.000-08:00

Emma was Christine from Phantom of the Opera this year.

Emma's loot!

Owen was our little Phantom for our Christine.

Our little Christine has a sweet voice!

The Phantom and Christine take to the stage and dance!

This year was Emma and Owen's first Halloween together. Owen was obviously too small to trick or treat but we had fun with him anyway! Emma originally wanted to be Hermoine Granger from Harry Potter, but I could not find a costume that was under $40! I refused to pay that for a one time deal. I looked in the thrift shops but nothing that I could work with. So I explained to Emma that I could not find Hermoine, but she could choose something else. If you recall last year she went on for 3 months about being Christine, but at the last minute chose Alice in Wonderland. So this year her immediate 2nd choice was Christine. I supplied many other ideas, but nope. Christine won. So, we used the dress-up we had that Nana gave her. Its perfect, pink, and fluffy. We bought sparkles for her hair and white gloves. I let her wear some pearls I had. I put make-up on and curled her hair and she was ready to go! We painted Owen's face and I made a white Onsie that said, The Phantom of the Opera. We got alot of compliments at our ward Trunk R treat! On Halloween I took Emma around the block. It was nice and dry, but it was freezing! The coldest year we have been out in yet. So after trick or treating, I made us all some Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate and then we watched Hocus Pocus. Perfect Halloween movie. And Owen? Fell asleep while Daddy handed out the candy. Its a busy job supervising Dad! It was a fun year and Emma is already planning for next year! EEK!!!

Playin in the leaves 2011

2011-11-30T21:09:00.000-08:00

Fall in Spokane is beautiful! There are so many Maple trees and they turn this golden yellow! And there are these trees that turn orange, bright orange. Not sure what they are. There are Burning Bush that turn vibrant red, and these trees with smaller leaves that turn a purple color. And amidst all the colors, the Evergreens keep green. Such a pretty pallet of color. Total eye candy straight from nature. Its amazing. Our neighbor has a big Maple and as it turned and the leaves fell, Emma took delight in playing in their yard. So I grabbed my camera and put Owen down in the pile to see what he thought. He picked up the leaves, shook them, and then tried to eat them. Typical everything to the mouth. haha! I got a few fun shots, but as always Owen is camera shy. Unlike Emma who is a ham! :)

Owen 6 months!

2011-11-01T22:04:00.001-07:00

Little man's 6 month photo! Isn't he handsome?

*see post below for his 6 month update. :)

Owen 6 months

2011-11-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

Owen is 6 months old and growing strong! Sitting up now all by himself!

Owen LOVES Emma's Turtle. And Emma is not happy about it. haha!

Owen is a good sleeper for the most part. The months of teething haven't been kind on the schedule. lol!

Owen LOVES his sister! He watches her and laughs for her and thinks she is the neatest. :)

And Finally Owen is liking bath time! He hated it for so long and it was always a struggle. Now he splishes and splashes!

(This post is about a month late! I haven't been posting in order of events and I am a bit behind.)

Owen turned 6 months old in September and I cannot believe that a half a year has gone by! He has grown so much! He learned to sit on his own. He started eating more cereal and things like pears, carrots,green beans, etc. He does not like to be left by himself. He sqwuaks if he sees you leave. He loves to play in his activity center. He does not like to be in his car seat. Going farther than around the corner is a pain! He has learned to give kisses. So fun! Bring a towel though. haha! He has learned how to clap. Loves the Patty cake song. He is a bit of a dare devil. He will tip backwards or forwards to hang upside down if you are holding him. He loves the dogs and they better make a plan to get away because he is way more interested than Emma ever was. Those ears are going to take a pinching. He's gotten them already! He learned to get over his fear of the bath and is now enjoying them thank heavens! He LOVES and adores Emma. He is still a Momma's boy, but he thinks Daddy is the coolest.

We are so thankful for our little man! We have been so blessed and we enjoy every minute of him! We love you Owen!

Owen and Daddy playing continued...

2011-10-30T15:15:00.000-07:00

Owen and Daddy were playing. I caught the first video below. and then this one. The sound didnt pick up to well, so you made need to turn up your volume, but Daddy makes a raspberry noise and then Owen tries to. Pretty cute. In this video you can see him using his tongue to try to make the sound. ;) Have I mentioned I need a new camera?? lol!

Owen mimicking Daddy!

2011-10-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Owen and Daddy time! Daddy was making noises and playing with Owen when all of a sudden Owen started doing it back. I hurried and grabbed the camera! Course its still the phone camera, but you can see them go back and forth. Owen is growing so fast!

Owen is going mobile!

2011-10-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

Owen has learned to roll his way around! He has never like tummy time, but a week or so ago he figured out that when he rolled he moved. And now he rolls from one side of the room to the other! He is also starting to get up on his hands and knees. This clip is too short to see how far he came and I kinda missed part of it. I really need a new camera! My camera phone is just not doin it for me. lol! But you get the jist. And please ignore my voice. haha.

Its been 12 years already!

2011-10-25T16:38:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it has been 12 years! Where does the time go? It doesn't feel like that much time has passed, but looking back I can see how far we have come. In 12 years we have had quite the adventure already! We have had good times and bad. Happy moments and some sad. We have had small homes and big homes. Crap cars and great cars. We have lost jobs and found jobs worth uprooting for. We have finished our educations. We have traveled to far off places and seen different lands. We have lived in different cities and have made many new friends. We have grown our family from 2 to 4 with two beautiful children, Emma and Owen. But the best thing is that we have been able to do all this together. And at this point we are barely in the middle of this adventure. I hope for many many more precious moments. There are many great love stories. But ours is my favorite. :)

Our very Fall weekend

2011-10-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

My darling Emma. Picked her own pumpkin from the garden. :)

Master Owen and his very first pumpkin!

The newly engaged couple. I took this pic and think its pretty cool for announcements. ;)

Siblings! Their first Fall and Halloween season together. :)

The road my Mom lives on is so slow you could lay there and get a suntan! Good place for a fun pic.

--This weekend was my little sister Rachel's 21st birthday. And similarly to my 21st, she found herself engaged to be married! They had already planned this trip so it wasnt last minute. They went to Seattle for a few days and seemed to have an awesome time. We had work and school and couldn't go, but we met up with them on Saturday evening at my Moms and went out for some pizza at the local hang out. We stayed the night and went to church the next day and then spent the afternoon visiting, raiding grandma's garden, eating the fruits of our labors, and snapping photos while the sun was up. Emma and Owen got to pick Pumpkins from the garden adn we went over to the neighboring corn field to (shhhhh) harvest our own corn. Then my mom made an awesome pot roast for dinner! We really enjoyed our super short visit! Have to take it as it comes. :) And congrats to my sister! Approx date is February 18th. Can't believe it! My baby sister is not only 21 but engaged! Whoa! When did that happen????

Owen having a Blast!

2011-10-09T21:54:00.000-07:00

Owen is learning and growing so fast! A month or so ago we bought him a little activity center and he just loves it. Well, he loves it when he is in the mood. lol. He has loved to stand since he was about 2 months old and in this he can stand and play. And he just gets so excited. He laughs and giggles and grabs the toys. He bangs and bounces. He loves it! I stole a quick moment with my camera phone. But you get the jist. I am a little behind on blogging. Soon to catch up! I promise!

Anniversary Weekend/FCAD

2011-09-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

Emma getting her cut of the candy at the parade!

Us chillin at the Hot Air Balloon Light Up. Emma was in the jumper behind us. lol

Look at the size of that carrot! Its the field across the street and they grow those for things like frozen food stuff etc. They are so fat!

All of us enjoying the weekend in a field of corn. :) We even went in but I dare say its not as easy as it looks. lol Jungle!

This weekend we went to Quincy,WA for FCAD(Farmer Consumer Awareness Day). We had so much fun! Its a tiny town, but they had a fun parade(John Deer tractors, dancing horses, cheerleaders on John Deer mowers, a fire-engine that soaked us, and they threw candy to the kids), a quilt show, some live music and food, and of course the tractor pulls. I have never seen anything so funny. They compete to see which tractor can pull more and how far. In the evening there was a Hot Air Balloon light up with food and a singing Elvis(didn't we leave Vegas? lol). We ate fun food, picked fresh fruits and veggies from my Mom's garden and her neighbors peach trees, and we watched a fun firework show that would rival those in the big cities! It was nice of my mom and her husband to put up with us for the weekend and to educate us in the art of being a Washingtonian, as Phil A would say. haha. It also happened to be our 12 year anniversary and we enjoyed being out and about doing something different. For several years we were moving and didn't do anything at all. lol. This year will for sure be memorable!

Emma's 1st day of school!

2011-09-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

The year of Kindergarten has finally arrived! I remember when Emma was born, thinking that this day was so far away, and what would she be like? Emma is bright, enthusiastic, imaginative, loving, and kind. She plays and plays and pretends like a pro! Such fun to be a little girl with an imagination. She has a big heart and befriends everyone around us from the grocery clerk to her newfound friends on the playground. She is outgoing and fun spirited. She is such a help to me and she is an awesome big sister. Owen already loves her so much and is eager to be where she is. As soon as he can move, she will have a devoted follower. haha! And her mom and dad think the world of her and are so so blessed to call her their daughter. I love you so much and am so proud of you, Emma!

Emma wasn't one bit scared on her first day. She was so excited and was ready to go. She was up and dressed, fed, and had her back pack on when the time came. I took pictures of course. And then off to school we went. Emma has afternoon kindergarten with Mrs. Stevenson. ( We met her teacher the day before.) We arrived with all the other kids and parents and waited on the playground while the kids explored. Then the whistle blew and the kids followed the instructions to line up and into class they went. She was too cute waving at me until she was inside the doors. I didn't have to worry for one minute. She loves people and isn't afraid of new things. And just so everyone will know, I did not cry! haha. I thought I would, but when the time came I was excited for her and proud, and I didn't shed a tear. True story. lol.

And now its been a few days...Emma still loves it and we had her first homework today. My little girl is in school! I can't believe it!

Emma is officially enrolled in Kindergarten!

2011-08-24T23:33:00.001-07:00

It is official! Emma will be a kindergartner as of Sept 7th at Opportunity Elementary here in Spokane. Home of the Pandas! Don't know who her teacher will be yet. Since we moved over the summer we are technically late registration. Next week she has her assessment and then on Sept 6th it is back to school night. Somewhere in there we will find out who her teacher is and whether she is morning or afternoon. I prefer afternoon since none of us are morning people, and with Phil's schedule and us down to one car, its best for all of us. But we will see. One way or the other, Miss Emma is going to school! Class of 2025! :)

Emma's New Room

2011-08-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

One of the first projects on my list as soon as we got to WA was to have Emma's room done before school started. I am almost finished! I got her bedding on sale just before we moved and I think it is totally Emma. I painted her accent wall a very soft pink and left the remaining walls the color they were, a neutral tan. I got a hot pink accent rug and hung her pink window panels(from her old room, but they look even better in this room. haha) and I even decopaged her old white name letters with fun paper. So far so good. On one of the walls you can't see I plan to do a series of B&W family photos in fun frames. Her room is the lightest of them all with two nice size windows. She goes in there for long periods of time and I think its a hit! A big girl room for a big girl who is going to Kindergarten. Its been a long few months and lots of change and she has been a real trooper! Here's to you Emma!

Emma's hair cut with a REAL hair stylist. :)

2011-08-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

I have always generally cut Emma's hair. I have had Great clips do it once and this place called Kids Kutz, but all in all its usually me. But this year Emma is going to Kindergarten and I wanted someone to give her a cute bob with layers and volume that I knew my simple hand could not do without some possible catastrophe. At the time were staying with the Flemings while Phil got us unloaded in WA, and they have someone who does there hair regularly and so we made an appointment. It was a cute little shop(adorable actually. you can see the colors in the pics) in her home and Emma did great. She was a little nervous about putting her head back in the sink, but you can see from the pictures she survived. lol. It turned out very cute and I am very glad we did it. Emma was strutting around for 2 days showing her hair off to everyone. :) And the next step....off to Kindergarten......(sigh)

Owen Rolls Over!

2011-08-03T01:39:00.000-07:00

Owen has learned tummy time is not all that bad and is now rolling over! In this short clip he wraps himself up like a little burrito. :) (and ignore my baby voice. haha!)

Harry Potter Mania!

2011-08-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

The final Harry Potter movie came out on July 15th and like the nuts we are we went to the midnight showing. :) I should preface that I do not normally do that kind of thing...rushing to midnight movies and I do not dress up like characters or anything crazy. So it was pretty funny when we decided to make a bigger deal than we usually do. Hey, it was the last movie and this was our last chance to just kinda have fun with it. We spent years reading the books and anticipating release dates. We even stood in lines at book stores at midnight to get our copy of the next book and then would rush home to race to the finish. And we waited just as eagerly for the movies, so this was our last chance to go out with a bang. We still weren't that crazy, but we made some fun shirts and I even put a lightening scar on my forehead. :) And Rachel made us Deathly Hallows tattoos and a Dark Mark for Jared who was sporting Slytherin green instead of Gryffindor. I had an HP with a snitch on the front of my shirt and the back said, " Make Love, Not horcruxes." I thought it was pretty funny. Rachel's had the Hogwarts Crest and the back of hers said, "Real men don't sparkle, they defeat dark lords." We had just as much fun planning and making shirts as actually going to the movie. And it was packed! And yes, people in costumes of all varying degree. :) The movie was great and when it ended, we all had that moment of ...Sad, its all over. But it was fun while it lasted. :)

Things Owen can Do! (4 months)

2011-08-03T01:04:00.000-07:00

Owen is now 4 months old! Ahhhhhh! Where DOES the time go? He is now 14 pounds and 25.5 inches long. He can roll over from tummy to back and is almost sitting up without support. He is learning tummy time isn't so bad. He is drooling up a storm! Teething of course, but nothing is thru yet. He loves to put anything and everything in his mouth. He has found his toes and grabs on to them all the time. He loves to watch Emma and he loves mommy to hold him. He likes to go in his stroller on walks and just chills. He can soothe himself to sleep which is awesome. Just lay him down in his bed! He has these great chubby little thighs. Even his little wrists have rolls. He is a very happy baby and loves to give smiles and to play, but I posted a pic of his mad face. :) He is an expert at letting you know how he feels. :) He is very expressive, even his facial cues. And his favorite thing to do? Eat of course! That has remained the same. Haha! We are enjoying Owen so very very much and cannot believe how lucky we are! We love you little guy!

4th of July!!!

2011-08-03T00:44:00.001-07:00

This year was a pretty low key year for 4th of July. We were in the middle of moving and Phil had flown in for the 3 day weekend and we spent the two days visiting with his family and even stayed the night with them to get the max out of our time. But Phil had to work Tuesday so he had to fly back home and couldn't stay for fireworks. But we still had a great time seeing him! After he left my Dad brought over a big bag of the good fireworks (illegal of course. haha) and Rachel and I had a Harry Potter dual with our Roman Candles! :) Emma HATED the bang noise of the large fireworks and as you can see kept her fingers stuffed in her ears. :) Just to be a little festive this year I got Emma dressed up in Red White and Blue and I even painted her face. And Owen? Totally asleep in his room, completely unphased by the loud noises. :)

Emma is our funny girl!

2011-06-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Emma is our funny girl! I sent her to her room to clean up. It was a mess! Toys and clothes everywhere! We have a one at a time rule and while I wasn't looking this happened. haha. I told her to fold her laundy, and put her toys away. I was doing the dishes and after a few minutes went to check on her. This is how I found her....

Passed out face down in the mess! :) If you look closely you can see she folded her laundry. lol. Cleaning takes its toll I guess. haha!

This is Emma reading a book. She is very good at her letters and she loves to try to read. She practices her sounds and tries to sound out words. She is soooo ready for kindergarten. I just can't believe it!

This last photo just cracks me up. Emma has a huge love of animals and a certain fascination with them that borders on the unhealthy side (for the animal!). haha. Here Thomas, my sisters cat, climbed up on Emma while she was sleeping. He LOVES company to cuddle with. Usually he stays by your feet or sits next to you with an arm outstretched to touch you, but we feel he was just getting back at all the tail pulling etc. :) He was litterally on her side. lol!

We love you miss Emma! Such a sweet and loving girl you are!

Owen is 3 months old!!

2011-06-22T00:34:00.000-07:00

Oh Owen! What can I say??? You are so much fun, and so adorable, and so full of personality for someone so small! I cannot believe how much he has changed. He is no longer a little sleeping bundle. No no. He is so active and aware of everything around him. And his most favorite thing to do? EAT!!! and don't even think about interupting him or you will get an earfull. :) Its why he is growing so fast and changing so much that I feel I cannot keep up with pictures and blogging. :)

Owen LOVES LOVES LOVES the mobile above his crib. He kicks and coos and reaches with his arms. Its quite entertaining to watch. Fussy? Put him under the mobile! He is just mesmorized by it and I think its great! I can put him down for 20 minutes and put in a load of laundry and he will be in there totally entertained. :)

Owen has figured out how to stand supported and he LOVES it! I am afraid this love of being upright is a prelude to walking early. :) He makes this funny little face, and I imagine him thinking, " Look at me! I am doing it! I am so good at this!" Its pretty funny. Along with the smiles. Too darn cute.

Our life saver is the swing. He is not a fussy baby really, but more so than Emma was. He's generally a happy boy, but he gets to the point sometimes that he is tired and needs to sleep, but just refuses to. His eyes are glued open and he thinks he will miss something. The swing takes care of it 99% of the time. Out like a light. :) This is great at 3am when he decides hey, maybe I should stay awake? lol. Mom says, No please. :)

Owen does NOT like tummy time. Emma hated it too. As soon as you put him down he is fighting it. But I still put him on his tummy several times a day for just a few minutes. Helps build character (oh and those muscles too. lol).

At Owen's last checkup he weighed 11 pounds and 13 ounces. Just shy of the 12 pound mark, but by now he is at least 12. Its been a few weeks since then. He is not a huge baby, but he is catching up. A few other things...He loves to be played with, especially holding his hands or feet. He is starting to realize Emma is someone to pay attention to. He watches her when she is in sight. He wants Mommy to hold him and cuddle pretty much 100% of his waking time (thank heavens for the mobile and swing!). His favorite time to give smiles is 6am(not my favorite time. hahaha). He does not like bath time for some reason. Emma always loved it, but he cries as soon as his feet hit the water. He eventually calms down and will tolerate it for a bit. Then he is done and cries again. He is no longer sleeping in the bassinet in my room. He has graduated to his own crib. Yay! He is just growing and learning so much! Its amazing how much difference a few months makes. Can someone invent a way to slow down time? I wan to hang on a little longer please. :)

Siblings

2011-06-06T14:34:00.001-07:00

Emma and Owen looked so much alike the day they were born. When they handed me Owen, one of my first thoughts was how much he looked like Emma when she was so new. Not only that, but once they weighed and measured, Owen was only an ounce more in weight and the same length. So very similar. (Labor was 100% different for each though. lol.) And as I look through pictures I can see how much they really do look alike. Especially at the similar stages in age. BUT as he grows I see how very individual they are. Owen is a handsome boy and Emma a dainty girl. No one has ever confused their genders. There is so much that I can see that is their very own. The above photos are of Emma at 1 month and Owen the day he was born. ( I tried looking for earlier pics of Emma, but I only have them in print, not on my computer. ) Emma is very feminine even now and my boy is all boy! Emma, until she was 3yrs old, always measured around the 10th percentile on the growth chart. Just dainty and girly. But Owen loves to eat and he went from being in the 10th percentile at birth to the 25th percentile by 2 months. Not a huge baby by comparison, but he has doubled in size and has these great chunky thighs. :) And as he grows he changes and the similarities fade as he becomes his own. So similar and yet so different. I love to watch them grow! ;) (just wish it was slower. haha)

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty nice day for Memorial Day. It was 80 degrees, sunny, and perfect for a day at the pool and a bbq. We took emma to Desert Breeze Pool. Owen came along for the ride. :) He slept half the time in his carrier, but when he woke up we put him in his little suit and got his feet wet. He didnt like that it was colder than he was used to, but once acclimated to the temp he was relaxed. He was so cute in his little outfit! Emma is a little fish! She enjoyed the shallow water and all the other kids. And no one had sun burns. :)

In a far away city, Phil was watching a parade and a flag ceremony. My mom's husband is a Vietnam Vet and he is very active in his community. Phil got the VIP treatment and had a good time celebrating in style. :) We miss him, but he will be here this coming weekend. Yay!

Mother's Day

2011-05-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is just so surreal to me that I have two beautiful children. I am so grateful that I have been blessed to be a mother. Its so not easy, but it the most fulfilling experience that I will ever undertake. I am so lucky to have such a good husband and such happy children to call my own. Emma is just so loving, eager to please, and so imaginative. I love hearing her tell me stories and to listen to her playing when she doesnt know I am eavesdropping. lol. She is such the helper and just loves her new job of big sister. She wants to be everyone's friend and she is not shy in any way. She finds people just about anywhere to chat up. This weekend it was the Flight attendant at the door while we waited for our late plane. :) She has charm and charisma! I adore her so very much. I love you Emma! And Owen is such a character and he is only 8 weeks old! He decided the week of mother's day to start smiling for me! I LOVE it. He is so darn cute. He is demanding when it comes to eating and we joke its a dictatorship when its time to eat. Must be a boy thing. lol. He is such a good baby though. Generally happy and loves to be loved. :) And he is such a huge blessing. I love you Owen!

As you can see from the previous post, we are getting ready to move to Spokane at the end of the summer. We drove Phil up last weekend, spent the week with him, and at the end of the week, we drove down to Quincy to have Mother's Day with Grandma Pammy. The weather was weird so no fun pics outside, but we did manage a few. We got up on Sunday morning and went to Grandma's ward which does sacrament last so I felt all turned around. lol. In sacrament the primary sang mother's day songs and the talks were all about mother's day. Two of the men that spoke gave hilarious talks about their mothers and their childhood. At the end, the moms were given chocolate! So much better than a carnation. lol! We went home and had lunch and relaxed. We made my version of stuffed parmesan chicken for dinner. We exchanged a few gifts, and had vanilla ice cream with raspberry compote or chocolate chips for dessert. It was a very nice low key Mother's Day. It was really nice to spend it with my Mom. The last few years were just conversations over the phone and cards in the mail. It's nice to spend time and appreciate eachother. Monday was time to head home. My mom, even though its a tedious drive(she wrecked her car last time), took Emma, Owen and I to the Pasco airport and we flew home. (And Allegiant air is a whole different story! lol.) Happy Mother's Day to all those Mother's in my life! I hope your day was spoiled. ;)

Trip to Spokane

2011-05-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Phil has accepted a job offer in Spokane,WA. We drove him up on May 1st and spent the week exploring the city. Washington is a beautiful state. I have now been on the west, central, and eastern areas and they are all completely different, but all very scenic and green. It took us 2 days to drive. We stopped Sunday night in Logan, UT and visited the Tribetts. I haven't seen them in a few years and it was really nice to visit. Emma is very social and jumped right into playing and visiting with them. We saw Great Grandma Tribett and met Deegan and Tayson for the first time. So cute! Too short a visit though. On Monday we drove the rest of the way. It was the longer end of the drive, but Emma was so good. Owen slept most of the drive except when hunger would wake him up. He is an eating machine! lol. A funny side note was that Owen had a huge blowout and we had to stop and clean him up, but it took forever because it was all over! Gross. lol We got to Spokane in good time and got into our hotel room and relaxed before bed. The next day we all got up and took a look around Spokane. We drove around to different areas and got a sense of the layout and where things were. On Wednesday Phil had his first day which went well. He took us over on his lunch and showed us the office and we met a few people. Then I took the car and took Emma and Owen around while the weather was nice. There is a large river that runs thru Spokane and I took Emma to this park right on the river downtown. There is a large Red Flyer Wagon slide that Phil had told Emma about. So I took her over to play. We walked around and saw where the river drops and creates a waterfall. Emma thought the whole thing was great. Its all very pretty. Then today was a relaxing day. We went for a 3 mile walk around this trail along the river. There are these rodents that are a cross between squirels and groundhogs. They are all along the riverbank and Emma fed them Chex mix. I think this was her favorite thing! She even took Phil out to see them. They were pretty funny and took the food right out of Emma's hand. She thought that was great! She even ran out of chex mix. lol. We are going to go see the temple this evening and then tomorrow after Phil gets off we are driving to Quincy to see Grandma for Mother's Day. Emma has been having a ball! She understands we are moving here, but I think she thinks we will be living in the hotel. haha! Overall we are having a good time and enjoying the change in scenery. :)

Owen's 1 month old!

2011-04-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Owen turned one month old on April 15th. I can't believe how time flies! We are all having so much fun with him. He is so tiny, but so strong. He tries to hold his head up and look around or tries to push up with his legs. He likes to think he can sit up too. Of course he can't yet, but he is determined to try. He has the cutest smile, although its mostly in his sleep. He loves to eat! He gained 3 pounds in 6 weeks. If he is sleeping and wakes up hungry he doesn't wait to let you know. He immediatly cries as loud as he can to declare its meal time. He isn't exactly a binki baby but he will take one when fussy. Emma never did accept them. lol. He is getting rounder and I can tell how he has grown. And its so fun to put him in cute baby boy clothes! I am enjoying that, while he has grown, he is still so small. :)

Emma just loves Owen to death. Always wanting to hold him or be a helper. She tells me all the time that she loves him and she loves to give him kisses. She is such a trooper through this change. She was concerned in the beginning, especially when I was in the hospital, and then about his belly button which was funny. At first when he cried she'd put her hands over her ears and ask why he was crying. Now its just second nature and as soon as he fusses she will bring the binki out. We have been stopped a few times in places like Smiths or Walmart and people stop to ask Emma if she is the big sister. Of course she proudly answers "Yes!" She asks all the time if "when he gets bigger, can he play games?" She is so excited to have a brother and we are so excited for her!

So far so good. Mommy doesn't get much sleep. I usually get thru a 24 hour period on about 4 hours sometimes 5 hours of sleep as the longest stretch. Daddy works so we try not to disturb him on those days. We have had all our doctor appts and everyone is healthy and doing great. What more could we ask? Healthy, happy, and safe. :) We are truly lucky and blessed!

Owen's Baby Blessing

2011-04-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Easter was Owen's baby blessing and it went very nicely. Phil did a great job! All our family that could attend came and we took up two rows at church. lol. Made it a full sacrament! Owen was very cute in his little white outfit, but he is still so tiny that he swam in it. We were also afraid that as babies do, he would have a blowout in his white outfit. haha! Would figure right? But all went well and no ruined outfits. Our little family wore blue for Easter and we all had white accents to match little man. It really was a beautiful Easter Sunday. A bit windy, but very pretty(parks were full!). After the blessing we went to the Flemings for an Easter/Blessing lunch. We had sandwhiches, and potatoe salad, deviled eggs, bbq baked beans, and more. They went all out! Brenda got this adorable cake too. We all visited and had a great time. Wade told us about this dog he had when he was a kid. Some funny stories came out! Love learning about family. We had a very good time and it is an Easter we will all remember! (and now I have no excuse to foget what date Owen was blessed. lol!)

Easter 2011

2011-04-27T15:26:00.001-07:00

Easter was pretty eventful this year! Grandma Pammy and Pop Pop Phil came to town for a few days for Owen's baby blessing and so we had guests. Emma got up early and we made her go back in her room for about another hour. She was so excited to find those eggs and see her basket(but at 6am? I think not)! The Easter bunny hid eggs in the front and back yard, and he left everyone a basket. Emma dove right into see what was in her basket of goodies and candy and then off she went to find those eggs! Then of course we had breakfast and got ready for church. Easter was also Owen's blessing so it was a very memorable Easter!

Owen has arrived!

2011-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Our baby has arrived...a month early! Owen Scott was born 3/15 at 4:27pm. He weighed 6.4lbs and was 18 in long. He was such an easy delivery compared to Emma. And half the time! When they say it gets easier they aren't kidding. Owen was only 1 oz bigger than Emma. He would have been closer to 7 and half pounds had he stayed in there. :) I forgot what tiny really was until they placed him in my arms. So so tiny, but he had lungs! Not happy to be washed down and he let us know it. Phil cut the cord, was snapping pictures, and trying to tell people the baby was here. The first person to see the baby other than us was Emma of course. She was sooooo excited and wanted her turn to hold the baby. Then she became very concerned for mommy since it was a hospital setting and kept asking if I was ok. She was upset to leave me there, but Rachel managed to keep her busy and distracted for the night away. We only spent a day in the hospital and were released to go home. Thank goodness! I couldnt take the 24/7 interuptions from the nurses. Rest? In a hospital? I say impossible! I got more sleep the first 12 hours home than the 24 in the hospital! lol. It has now been 2 weeks and all is well. Owen is growing before our eyes! We are so glad that he was/is healthy and are so exstatic that he is here. We love you little Owen! (and a small apology to both our jobs. lol. Couldnt really be helped. lol)!! Oh and to Brian who placed the bet I wouldnt go another 17 days, you win. And should I thank you? Haha!

2011-02-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Only 8 weeks to go now! Seems so crazy to think that in such a little amount of time we will have another baby in our arms. We are very excited and 8 weeks seems too long now. lol! Of course we want the little guy to continue to grow and be healthy, but its just so exciting to think there will be a new person. We want to meet him!

This pregnancy has gone just as the first. Uneventful for the most part(thank goodness) and healthy. I didn't have sickness with either pregnancy, but I did feel run down and tired, especially in the beginning. Now I am feeling tired again, but on the whole, good. We are at the pivotal point where blood pressure can rise and I am hoping that this pregnancy avoids it. I had borderline high blood pressure with Emma and had to go in every other day after 33 weeks and had to stop working. I delivered Emma normal and on time, but the last few weeks were sorta stressful with so many appointments and ultrasounds. Hopefully this time I can go all the way to the end on my own and go into labor on my own. :)

This time the biggest difference has been that its not just Phil and I, but Emma too. She has been so excited! She talks to the baby with her hands on my tummy and she gives it kisses. She talks all the time about how she is going to have a baby brother and one day she can play with him and give him loves. I know it will be an adjustment for her, but she will be such a big helper too. She is already volunteering to help change diapers, feed bottles, and pick out his clothes. She is pretty funny! But oh so cute. She will be a great big sister.

And so we anxioulsy await the arrival of our newest member and can't wait to hold him in our arms. Its so exciting!!!!

Mad Hatter Tea Party!

2011-01-22T22:29:00.000-08:00

Today was Emma's Mad Hatter Tea Party! She was so excited! (and so was I. lol) I prepared most everything the night before so we only needed to get the balloons. The party was at 12:30 so we hurried to have everything ready on time. When all the kids arrived we made Mad Hatter Party Hats( The only thing I didn't anticipate was that the glitter glue wouldn't be dry in time to wear them, but that didn't stop them from having fun!) For our Tea Party we had the choice of Strawberry or Chocolate milk in our heart shaped tea cups, and the choice of heart shaped peanut butter and Jelly or flower shaped Ham and cheese sandwhiches. They also had strawberries and dip, apples with peanut butter, and deviled eggs. Then they all played together while I cleaned up, and then we played the "Unbirthday Game" which was a hit. I stole this idea from my friend Nicole(Thanks Nicole!). I wrapped prizes up and they passed them around like hot potatoes while the Unbirthday song from Alice in Wonderland was playing. When the music stopped whoever had the gift got to open it. They had fun, but didn't want to pass it along because they wanted to be the next to open a gift. I had to keep urging it forward, but everyone got a turn and won a prize. We then let Emma open her gifts and then we sang her Happy Birthday and had cupcakes. It was a whirlwind of a day and after everyone had gone I sat down to rest. haha. But Emma had such a good time and it turned out so cute it made it all worth it! Below is a slideshow of our Mad Hatter Tea Party!

2011-01-22T22:28:00.001-08:00

Emma's Family Pizza Party Jan 19th

2011-01-20T21:37:00.001-08:00

Emma had a very spectacular birthday this year! When ever is Jan 19th 70 degrees outside?? So why not enjoy it? We had a fun lunch and then we decided to do something we hadn't done before. Emma road her new bike to the park for the first time and did great! She played her heart out in the beautiful weather and I sat and basked in the sun. I totally ate it up as much as everyone else I think. It was so darn nice. At this point Emma tells me that she was doing so good riding her bike because she was 5 now. She also demonstrated that this made her bigger by telling me she grew more and put her hand above her head to show me how much that meant. Too funny. Then it was time to ride that bike home. She got going a bit too fast and took a small spill that scared her more than hurt her. I managed to calm her down and point out that she wasn't actually hurt and that she had actually bled on an owie at home more than this. I finally got her back on the bike and when we got home I told her she must be 5 because she got back on the bike like a big girl would. She was pretty proud of herself. In the evening we had everyone over for pizza to celebrate Emma and Parker's birthday. It was so nice to visit. Emma was so excited. She kept asking all day when they were coming. She also had it in her head that she wasn't actually 5 until we sang her Happy Birthday and she blew out her candles. I thought that was pretty funny. We all had our pizza, played and visited, and then Emma and Parker opened their gifts and we had cake and ice cream. And of course the day was over as soon as it got started it seemed. Just like the last 5 years that zipped by. Emma is such a vibrant, smart, and loving little girl. We could not be more blessed! She brightens our day with her humor and charisma. She is my little helper, from cleaning up her room, to helping mommy with dishes or making dinner. And she loves to give loves. I eat it up! She will be a great big sister and helper to mommy when the baby arrives. She is such a sweetheart and I am fully enjoying being her mother. Happy Birthday Emma! But its not over yet....Emma is having a Mad Hatter Tea Party with friends on Saturday. I am so excited for it. More than Emma. I put alot of planning into it so I hope it turns out! Wish me luck and I hope to post pics of it on Sunday. :)

Christmas 2010

2011-01-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Well, due to an unforseen technical issue, our camera bit the dust and took with it all the Christmas pictures. Total Bummer. But we had a very nice relaxing Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with Phil's brother Austin and his family. We went to see the new Narnia movie which was pretty good and then we had Claim Jumper for dinner. We had to take it to go since they were closing early due to the holiday, but it was still yummy. :) After they went home we let Emma set out the milk and cookies and then off to bed she went so Santa could bring her presents. Before we went to bed we joked that this would be the year that Emma woke up early. She has been such a good sleeper and we havent been up before 8 so far. And of course we were right. At 7, almost on the dot, she was in our room waking us up. She crawled in with us and says, " Santa came!" I said, "How do you know?" "Because he ate the cookies...and brought me a bike!" We laughed. She went to check things out before she came to wake us up. And so we dragged oursleves out of bed and followed the excited Emma into the living room and opened presents. Then we made a big Christmas Breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and juice. Mmmmm. We took it easy all day and then made a nice Christmas dinner. My aunt and uncle came and my Dad. I had never done a ham before, but it turned out to be pretty easy. It was just so nice to relax and enjoy eachother. Emma made off like a bandit. lol. And by next year, we will have a new little person to spoil. lol. Hope all had a Merry Christmas too! And onto yet another year....

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T14:59:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! This year Emma got to go to the mall and meet Santa! She was so excited and sooo good while we waited a little over an hour in line. She sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas (a bike) and then took a picture for us. She was so besides herself when it was over. So excited she had met Santa and he knew who she was. When Christmas came she set out the traditional milk and cookies and was super syked to find it was gone the next morning. And did she get that bike? Oh yes she did! :)

Our Christmas was a ton of fun at home this year. I will post as soon as I can get the pics onto the computer. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving was nice and quiet for the most part. We flew up to Quincy, WA to spend Thanksgiving with my Mom's new husband and family. We flew out on Wednesday afternoon and knew it would be crazy at the airport, but it wasnt too bad. That was until our flight was delayed by an hour and a half. And then to top it off, when we went to land in Pasco, we almost touched down and then immediatly were going back up into the air again. The entire plane was like, "What just happened?" The pilot got on and said there was too much ice to land. We were going to circle around one more time, but if we couldn't land we would be redirected to Redmond, OR. So of course quess what happened....we ended up in Redmond. It gets better...this airport was closed. The only person there was the guy in the tower. They had to call people in to fuel the plane and get the gate open. We ended up sitting in the airplane on the tarmack for about 2 hours and were then told they cleared the airstrip in Pasco and we could go back. So we headed back to Pasco and finally landed about 5 hours later than scheduled. They didnt feed us or anything. We couldnt get off the plane. We were all pretty mad about the whole thing. My poor mom was sitting in Pasco just waiting to see what would happen. When we finally got there we headed straight for whatever food place was open and then drove to Quincy(2hr drive). We didnt get there until about 1am, 7 hours later than we should have. What a fiasco! But the rest of the weekend was very nice. We woke up the next morning to the smell of food and the kitchen in a bustle. We ate a yummy traditional meal, played the Wii, watched movies, and just vegged out and visited with everyone. On Friday we got to go out and see the little town of Quincy and we drove 30 minutes to the closest town to go to a Walmart and to see a family movie. We saw Tangled. Very cute, but the theater was just hysterical. It could only hold 4 movies and doubled as a conference center so there were stages in front of the screens. So funny. And the theater could hold maybe 40 people at once. After the movie we went to this little restaurant and had buffalo burgers. It was yummy, but truthfully tasted very much like a normal hamburger. :) We got a little snow while we were there. Very pretty. We tried to go outside and take pictures but Emma just cried that it was too cold and at one point the horses decided they wanted in the pictures too. Just didn't quite go as planned, but it was so nice and relaxing. We've had a tough month and it was nice to not think about anything and to veg out, relax, and enjoy ourselves. Lots of food too! haha! Prego lady didnt complain about that! I was stuffed the entire time! Laura made all sorts of dips, and cheese balls, and there were tons of leftovers and Laura had brought her homemade chilli which was by far the best chill ever! She's great in the kitchen. Overall, we had a great time. The flight home was totally uneventful. What fiasco could happen at Macarran? lol. And back to work by Monday. So tough after 5 days off. :) We hope everyone enjoyed there holiday with family and friends and that everyone was safe. And we are now on to Christmas. :) Happy Holidays! (sorry for the book. lol) Below is a small slideshow of our weekend.

2010-11-30T11:39:00.001-08:00

Its a boy!

2010-11-18T20:58:00.001-08:00

Little profile. Looks just like Emma's did.

Peek a boo! I'm a boy!

Little Foot. :)

On Wednesday we found out that we are having a baby boy! We are excited! Now we will have one of each. We can now move forward and start thinking about names and baby bedding. :) We have 4 months or so to decide but it will be here before ya know it! We are now getting ready to welcome our baby boy! Woot!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T14:01:00.000-07:00

This has been a very fun year for October. I absolutely love fall! The weather in Vegas is so nice in October and we actually have had a decent amount of rain. And of course there is one of my favorite holidays...Halloween! We put up our decorations on the last day of Sept! haha. We have done fun things all month, but this last week, for Emma and Halloween Week, I have made fun dinners by doing things like Spooky Pizzas, Mummy Dogs, Jack-O-Latern Grilled Cheese, and desserts like Carmel apples, Halloween shaped sugar cookies, and creepy cupcakes. Emma originally wanted to be Kristine from Phantom of the Opera but when we were at Walmart one day she saw an Alice in Wonderland costume. From then on, Kristine who? So Emma was a very cute Alice in Wonderland. Not hard to pull off when she is a little girl and blonde. :) She had a great time and went to two Trunk-R-Treats. More candy than she will ever know what to do with at once! (and more than we will ever let her eat. lol) To go along with Emma's costume I decided our trunk for our ward trunk r treat would be Wonderland. Phil dressed up like the Madd Hatter and I was the Queen of Hearts. I made a little tea party in the trunk and we played the tea party "Unbirthday" song from the Disney version (we werent going for the new stuff). It turned out pretty cute and got alot of compliments. Emma ran around with her other friend Emma from primary. She had a great Trick or Treat. Today is actually Halloween and it is on Sunday, so no door to door, but to keep up the spirit of things we are decorating sugar cookies, watching Monster House, and tonight for fun, we will be having hot chocolate with spooky eyes(marshmellows with Chocolate chips in them.) So to all...Hapy Haunting! On a side note...how quick were the retail stores to dump their halloween stuff and have their Christmas stuff up by Wednesday this week? lol! On to November I guess!

Phil's Birthday!

2010-09-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was Phil's 31st Birthday and we hope he had a great day! Last year we were moving and didn't get to do anything for his 30th which was kinda crappy, so this year I decided to make it a bit more entertaining. Emma and I decided it would be fun to take a birthday cake to Daddy at work and suprise him. Yes he was suprised! That was fun. Then when he came home from work we suprised him again by taking him out to dinner at Cheesecake Factory(one of his favs). Afterward we went back home to have cake, sing Happy Birthday, and give him our presents. I KNOW he liked his gifts. Rachel and Jared bought Phil new white Sambas(shoes) that he has been pining away for. I bought him a pair of jeans he really needed and two new shirts. We also got him Iron Man 2. Jared got Phil a PS2 game and Phil's boss gave him a card and $50. I think Phil made off like a bandit this year! We tried to make his day special and spoil him on his day in the spotlight. Hope you had a great day Phil! Happy Birthday!

Last trip for a while...

2010-09-22T21:19:00.001-07:00

For our 11 year anniversary we decided we wanted to take Emma to Disneyland and to the beach. It was our last chance since I am pregnant and due in the spring when we would normally go. We had four days in the beautiful sun. The weather was soooo nice! We went to Disneyland with my sister Rachel and her boyfriend Jared. It was a Friday and wasn't busy at all. We walked on almost every ride. I think our longest wait was 30 minutes. Emma got to see Ariel, Princess Tiana, Mickey mouse, Minnie Mouse, Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of hearts, Peter pan and Wendy, and Goofy. We went on every ride she was able to go on. We went on Pirates twice! :) She even rode Thunder Mountain. The only thing we missed out on was The Haunted Mansion since they were getting ready for the Haunted Halloween Disney throws. We ate Churros, and pretzels, and of course had a huge turkey leg before the firework show. Yumo! We all had a great time and Emma was asleep in the car before we were out of the parking lot. The next day we relaxed, went to the beach, ate very yummy grilled cheese and tomato sandwhiches made by Uncle Russ. We watched Nascar and soccer, and Emma played and played and played! Sunday we slept in, ate lunch at Ruby's Diner on the pier and headed home leisurely. We had a really good time and enjoyed our little family. It will be a while before we get to do another fun getaway and we ate the time up! Below are two little slideshows of our trip.

2010-09-22T21:18:00.001-07:00

2010-09-22T21:11:00.001-07:00

Emma's Dance Class

2010-08-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday was Emma's first dance class. She was so cute! Saying she was excited may not quite cover it. She has been trying on her ballet and tap shoes all week and asking if its Tuesday yet. So when the day finally came she was more than enthusiastic to go! :) We got her dressed into her leotard and tights and set off to class. When we arrived, the other class was just finishing so Emma got a sneak peak. It was your standard room with mirrors, ballet bars, and wooden floors. And of course, little girls! From the moment the music began, Emma did just what the teacher did or said. You'd never have known it was her first class and she just danced her heart out! When the hour was up and the class dismissed, Emma wasn't ready to go. She kept telling me there was more and tried to stay through the next class. I had to drag her away. She had such an awesome time! :) I have some pictures I need to upload from the camera and get a few videos loaded, but we are having technical difficulties so I'll get those up asap. The only pics available were from my phone. Sorry for the blur! :)

Chicken or Shrimp, Spinach, and Cheese Tortellini Dinner

2010-08-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy and simple pasta dish! Only takes a few minutes to prepare and its healthy!

To Prepare:

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain.

In a large saucepan combine the italian dressing, garlic, diced tomatoes, and cheese. Bring to a boil. Add cooked chicken (or shrimp). Simmer. Then add in the spinach and simmer until slightly wilted. Then add tortellini and toss to coat.

Add additional cheese and serve! I served this dish with a salad and garlic bread. Yumo!

Ingredients listed below.

2010-08-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken (or shrimp), Spinach, and Tortellini Dish:

2 to 3 cups cooked and chopped chicken, or 1 pound cooked shrimp

1 can petite diced tomatoes, unseasoned

1 and 1/2 cup spinach, torn

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Kraft Roasted Red Pepper and Parmesean Italian dressing

2tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 family size package of cheese tortellini

2010-07-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Lookin for a new recipe to try? How about homemade lettuce wraps with fried rice and eggrolls served with sweet chilli suace!

Homemade Fried Rice:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups long grain white rice, cooked
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 egg beaten
any vegetables you like such as peas, carrots, zuchinni, onion, mushrooms, etc.
chicken, beef, or shrimp (optional)

In a saucepan or wok, heat oil and cook vegetables. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
Stir in chicken, beef, or shrimp at this point if desired. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice, soysauce, and egg. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until egg is set and meat is heated thru.

TERIYAKI TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS:
1 pound ground turkey
One 10 oz bag shredded carrots (I did my own, about a cup)
4-5 scallions, thickly sliced (I used green onion , 2-3)
1/3 Cup store bought teriyaki marinade/sauce
1 head iceburge lettuce, leaves rinsed and separated.

In a large skillet, head 1 tbsp olive oil, add the ground turkey and cook about 4 minutes.
Add carrots and scallions. Lower heat, stir in 1/4 water and the teriyaki sauce.
Simmer til vegetables are soft.
Divide the mixture among lettuce leaves, about 1/4 cup per roll. Serve immediately.

Egg Rolls:

I got the eggrolls above as a gift from a lady I work with. They are in the frozen section of the grocery store. (Yes its sort of cheating, but hey, they are just as yummy and saves you a load of time!) All I did was heat about 2 to 3 cups of vegetable oil in a skillet and when the oil was hot and ready, add the egg rolls to the oil and cook until golden. Make sure you have enough oil in the pan so they float just a little and make sure not to burn the oil. Stay at Med to low heat. Serve the egg rolls with a sweet chili sauce sold in the Asian section of the grocery store. Any brand works!

Bon Appetit!

2010-07-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

Rachel caught Emma playing and singing and snuck up on her to catch the video. Takes Emma a moment to figure out she is being watched. And her reaction to being caught? Hide of course!

(Sorry the Video is tilted! It was a camera phone!)

Masquerade Dance by Emma

2010-07-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is Emma teaching Mommy how to dance to the Phantom of the Opera's "Masquerade." She loves Phantom of the Opera! She can watch it over and over(to the point we can no longer take it. lol). She knows all the words, and as you can see in the clip has nominated a dress-up as her Christine dress. She has also announced that she will be Christine for Halloween. You can catch her around the house playing and singing "Think of Me" or "Angel of Music." I love that she loves the music and am having fun watching her enjoy it. I am currently trying to catch a clip of her singing as well. Stay tuned...Emma is a hard one to catch if she knows you have a camera! lol.

Our 4th of July Weekend!

2010-07-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

For the Fourth of July weekend we went to California and visited my Aunt Gaye and Uncle Russ. My Mom met us there(her idea originally) and we all spent the weekend together watching Nascar, World Cup soccer, going to the beach, and on the morning of the 4th, we went to a parade! It ran just down the street Russ' son lives on. There were floats, military vehicles, marching bands, horses, buggies, flags, red, white, and blue! It was Emma's first parade. She had a blast on Daddy's shoulders waving her flag. It was a lot of fun! We headed home on the fourth since Phil had to work Monday. We got back just as the neighborhood was alight with fireworks. The street behind us must have spent $5000 on fireworks! They were huge and oh so illegal(my favorite kind. ahaha). and they went on forever. We had our own little pack and some sparklers, but we pretty much just sat in our front yard enjoying everyone else's. We had such a good time! I love the 4th! See the next two posts that go with this one. One post only holds so much. lol

The Beach!

2010-07-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Who goes to California and does not go to the beach?? On Saturday we went to Huntington Beach near the pier, and of course it was packed! We had a little lunch picnic on a blanket in the warm sun and watched people flying kites and boogy boarding. Emma had a blast running around in the waves and catching those little sand crabs. We showed her how to catch them with her bucket and she had about 8 when we finally convinced her it was time to release them back into the surf. We made a sand castle too, complete with mote. When we were tired and done(4 hours later!) we headed back to Gaye's to rinse of the ten tons of sand encasing our bodies. But Oh what fun!

Friday Night Bonfire!

2010-07-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

It has always been a tradition when we visit Gaye and Russ to do a bonfire at the beach. Since it was the Friday before the 4th of July we expected to have to get there very early and hunt down an available firepit. We packed up some water and sodas, a blanket and some chairs, and headed out early to find a pit. While the sun was still out and warm, we let Emma get her feet wet and hunt for sea shells. Then we decided to sit on the blanket and relax, Phil put some wood in the pit not realizing at first that the white ash at the bottom was still Hades hot from a fire the night before. The wood he put in started to smoke and we realized that the embers were slowly igniting the wood. It smoked for about 2 hours and just before everyone else showed up, it finally got enough air to catch fire. Russ always jokes that he has a record of starting the fire with only one match, so the rest of the night we teased Russ that Phil one upped him and started the fire with Zero matches. :)

Independence Day Spirit

2010-06-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

I am a HUGE fan of photography and I came aross these photos that hit my patriotic heart. :) When I was a kid my parents threw these humungous 4th of July parties in the front yard. We'd spend all day in the pool, we'd BBQ, and then we'd head out front for the fireworks. All the neighborhood families and friends would come and camp out with blankets and lawn chairs, and everyone had to bring a dessert item and fireworks to contribute to the pile. We would be out there for hours! Now, whenever I think of 4th of July, I think of those nights full of juicy watermellons dripping down our chins, warm gooey brownies, little waving flags, kids running around with sparklers, laughter, and loud crackling fireworks. I love this holiday because it reminds me of a part of my childhood and it makes me feel like a kid again, but more importantly, it makes me feel proud everytime I see a waving flag or see a firework stand. Happy Birthday America! (now think of the song "I Am Proud To Be An American)... Have a safe and Happy Holiday weekend!

Father's Day!

2010-06-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day Phil! This year Emma and I had some fun putting together a BBQ basket complete with BBQ apron made by Emma(stamped with handprints for love) and a dozen or so miscellaneous BBQ items. I also made him a "movie night" basket complete with two new movies, popcorn, and a "big hunk" candybar for my big hunk. :) Emma also made him a tie with her picture on it at church and a cookie that looked like a shirt and tie, but when asked if it was daddy's she said no, it was hers! lol. Inherited daddy's sweet tooth.

For the afternoon, we visited and had lunch with my Dad. Then we spent the evening with Phil's Dad and family and had a yummy BBQ. When dinner was done we all watched Girls Just Wanna have Fun. Lol. Not very manly huh? Good use of Phil's new tools though since the dinner was a BBQ!

We are so thankful for the wonderful fathers in our lives and we are so lucky to have Phil! He is a wonderful husband and father. He has a great sense of humor and keeps us on our toes. He makes me laugh even when things are tough. Emma simply adores him! Her Daddy is awesome! We are so blessed that he holds the priesthood and that he loves us too. We Love Him so Much!

Happy Father's Day Sweetheart!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun Memorial day weekend! We took a fun little roadtrip back to Salt Lake for a wedding, and it was so beautiful! The mountains were snowcapped and the hillsides and trees were blooming and green. It was slightly chilly, but when the sun was out it was gorgeous. We miss it! Our friend Troy(Matt's Brother) was getting married and so we trecked out at 3am to get there in time for the 11am ceremony! They had a scottish themed wedding with kilts, bagpipes and knot ceremony. It was very low key and simple. I liked it and thought the kilts were kinda sexy... hmmmmm.....hey Phil.... haha! Then we got to spend the rest of the weekend visiting with Matt and Nicole (played Poker and Settlers. No big suprise that Matt won both! haha), and Emma played her little heart out with Morgan, Elle, and Miles. She crashed every night where she was standing. We even went to Hoggle Zoo and spent the afternoon letting Emma drag us from one exhibit to the next. Her favorite was the bird show. She thought that was pretty cool. Then we headed back home for work Tuesday. Yuck. lol. I don't now about you, but I work to play. haha. Below I made two small slideshows. One of the wedding and one of the zoo. :)

2010-06-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

2010-06-01T22:40:00.001-07:00

Choose the Right...or left?

2010-05-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Emma was having a bit of a hard time and so Phil sat with her thru Primary singing time. (I think Phil secretly enjoyed it) For Sharing Time the primary learned about choosing the right. As the teacher was explaining how to choose the right, Emma turns to Phil and says, "Why can't we go left?" He about fell out of his chair. Oh to be so innocent(and literal) again!

Update...

2010-05-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was tentatively going to have a D&C on Tuesday, but my Monday pre-op appointment got canceled due to an emergency c-section (oh the life of OB's) and so I had my appt on Wednesday instead and they found that everything had passed and that I no longer needed the D&C. Good news! Now just to move on and start again.... Wish us luck!

2010-04-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

As many of you know...we have been trying for baby #2 for almost 2 years. Monday this week we found out that I had a miscarriage. We had been hoping to tell everyone that we were expecting on Mother's Day. I had been given Chlomid to help fertility and it was our first month on it. The good news is it worked and we did concieve, but the bad news is that something went wrong and it stopped growing. Just nature as the Dr put it. Nothing we did...not the fertility meds, or anything to do with the past. In fact, the doctor (who is so cool. Glad I found him here.) is hopeful and thinks all is unrelated. He gives us two months and we can start over. It is a huge dissapointment, but as I look at it, we still have what is important in our lives. I have to have a D&C on Tuesday. Hope that helps things too. A clean start in there so to speak. :) Course I still have a week til the surgery and if my body catches up (so far it hasnt) then it wont be needed. But cross your fingers all goes well. I hate hospitals and doctors. Major white coat syndrome. :) (We didn't really tell anyone so don't feel neglected if you read this but hadnt heard it from our lips. Not the funnest news to deliver you know.) Just keep us in your prayers!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

This is just a glimpse of our fun little Easter this year. For the last few years we have been in California for Easter, but this year the Easter Bunny found us at home, and he hid Emma's eggs and left her a fun basket full of goodies. She found all the eggs hidden around the yard (it was a beautiful sunny 60 degree morning) and then immediatley wanted to put on her new dress, shoes and headband (mommy made the headbands for Emma herself. hehe). Phil and I made a huge Easter brunch with eggs, bacon and sausage, and hashbrowns, etc. Yumo! Then we did what we do best. RELAX. haha. This year was General Conference so no church, but Emma has been learning about why we celebrate Easter. She can tell you the story of the atonement which for a 4 year old is incredible (at least I think so). We had an afternoon nap and then headed to Nana and Popo's for Easter dinner. Emma had a great time and is currently eating thru her candy. We hope everyone is well and had a very Happy Easter!

2010-03-28T00:47:00.002-07:00

Emma got a little Hello Kitty for her birthday and she likes to take it along everywhere we go. And as you can see she has to keep her safe too! haha! (she also does this with Turtle) :) Strapped in and ready to go! Off to any adventure...

Color time!

2010-03-28T00:34:00.000-07:00

Recently Emma has been getting sooo good at the details when she colors or draws. Its not a huge mystery scribble any longer. :) The images are now taking shape and imagination, and its been so fun to see what she comes up with. Above is a picture of a rainbow and her name. The other is a blue dog she named Jackie. Isn't she funny? I have another picture I need to post of a jelly fish. :) A jelly fish you say? Yes, and that's exactly what it is. (we watch alot of Nemo. Hehe)

Emma's dance

2010-03-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

Emma loves to sing and dance and she has a few kids CD's that she likes to listen to. I have been trying to catch her dancing and singing for a while now but have been unsuccessful. So just before we moved I found her in the living room dancing and singing. So I grabbed my camera, crawled on my hands and knees so she wouldn't see me, and stuck the recorder just above the back of the couch to try to avoid detection. I was successful! You have to listen but she is singing along to the music. It's a short little clip below, but the funniest part is that I get caught. Mom's busted!

2010-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T20:16:00.001-08:00

To all our family and friends, we love you! Happy Valentine's day!

Salt Legas!

2010-02-07T20:29:00.001-08:00

Emma is so funny! She is calling Las Vegas "Salt Legas." I have worked on it with her, but to no avail. We live in Salt Lake City and we are going back to Salt Legas. So stinkin cute!

Happy Birthday to Emma!

2010-01-19T20:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Emma! 4 years old already? My baby is definantly not a baby any more. She has turned into such a beautiful little girl and I am just eating it up! She is long and lean and growing strong. She is sooo cuddly and snuggly. I love it! She has such energy and curiosity. And she is so stinkin smart! Sometimes too much for her own good. She says the darndest stuff and keeps my heart smiling. Emma is so loving and generous that it actually suprises me sometimes. Such an innocent, sweet, pure person...to wish that she could stay this way... but alas, she will not stop growing. Even after I said I'd put bricks in her bed! lol. She is ever the girly girl. She loves her Princesses and Tinkerbelle. She loves playing make-up and hair, and loves to paint nails and wear dresses. She loves to play games and has quite the imagination! Oh what a fun little girl! She is such a joy and such a blessing. I thank Heavenly Father for her every day and I cannot believe how lucky we are to have her. Happy Birthday Emma! You are our little miracle. We love you sooo much!

I am too slow!

2010-01-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

I was sitting here calculating my checkbook when I heard Emma start to sing at the top of her lungs, and I could tell she had gotten ahold of Steven's guitar. I could hear her strumming and singing away. I grabbed my camera and ran to try to record a shot, but I was too slow! I peeked around the corner to see her totally rockin out, but she saw me and immediatly stopped and then turned and hid. Man, I need to get better at being sneaky! haha. These moments are just too hilarious and way too fun not to share!

New Years Resolution

2010-01-04T18:26:00.000-08:00

I only have one New Year's resolution this year. Usually I have the normal list of things to better myself and life, but this year I decided its time to simplify. Here it is....my 2010 resolution is to have a better year than 2009. :) haha!

Christmas 2009!!!

2009-12-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

Below are three slideshows I put together since I couldn't decide what photos to choose! :) The bottom one is of Christmas Eve, the middle is Christmas Morning, and the top is our family photos.

This year I had to work and we couldn't travel, so the Tribetts, Andersons, and Schwehrs came to us. We had a blast! We went to Temple Square on Christmas Eve (brrrrr!) and came back and had hot chocolate to get toasty warm. Emma was so excited about Santa! She left him out cookies and milk and went to bed like a good girl. Then the elves came out and got the place ready for Santa and he came with a full bag of goodies! When it was time to get up and see what Santa brought, Emma became very shy and hid in the kitchen. We had to coax her out, but once she got a closer look, she forgot her humility and dove right in! She had asked Santa for pretent make-up (the Santa at the mall) and Tinkerbell toys (in a letter). She got both, not to mention plenty more. She got toys toys and more toys. I didn't know where I was going to put them all! This is the 2nd year we spent with Laura Dave and Shae, and Shae had a great time too! She got all sorts of toys, one in particular was this tiny Snowwhite vacuum that sung Whistle While You Work. So cute! She pushed it around all morning. I think everyone got what they wanted and we all seemed to have a terrific time. We also went up the canyon for our family pics and froze half to death taking them, but I think they turned out great for just us amateur photgraphers. Dave had an awesome camera too! The day after Christmas, we joined the crowd and spent our gift cards at Walmart (a madhouse) and the mall (double madhouse) and played Dave's Wii thru the night. On Sunday, everyone went home and we realized how fast it went by. I always hate that. But it was soooo nice to see everyone and to spend time catching up and enjoying everyone's company. We got to meet my Mom's new husband Phil Anderson and we got to see how much Shae has grown. We got to laugh and play and we couldn't have asked for more. Fun memories....And now its a week later and the New Year is upon us.... 2010? What happened to 2009?!? To whom ever reads this, we hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!!!

2009-12-30T18:46:00.001-08:00

2009-12-30T18:45:00.001-08:00

2009-12-30T18:44:00.001-08:00

Police Lollipops!

2009-12-21T21:39:00.001-08:00

I wish I could have caught this on video!!! We have been driving around alot on our days off running with the Christmas crowd, and today we heard Feliz Navidad twice on the radio and the catchy tune was stuck in Emma's head. However, she has no idea what Feliz Navidad means or how to say it. My ears perked up as I was making dinner because I could here her singing the tune, but as I listened I realized she was saying, " Police Lillipops, da da da daaa, Police lollipops..." I was rolling with laughter and ran to get the cam, but she realized I was on to her and she went glib lipped and wouldn't sing for me. But how cute is that?!? Police Lollipops!

Christmas cookies!

2009-12-21T21:30:00.001-08:00

On my day off this week, we had a full day of Christmas activities. We made paper snowflakes, baked and decorated sugar cookies, and watched Christmas movies all day! This was Emma's first real experience decorating Christmas cookies without assistance. She was so cute and did a great job! She particularly liked to dump on the colored sugars and chocolate chips. You can see in the above picture. My brother Steven got quite inventive and made the cutest snowman, an elderly gingerbread man, and detailed xmas sock cookies! You can kinda see in the top pic. We had a fun day feeling the Christmas spirit!

December!

2009-12-04T11:44:00.001-08:00

December is here! Ahhhhhh! Where did this year go?!? Not even funny. Its only the 4th day of December, but I feel the pressure. lol. Actually I have most of my shopping done, but I still can't believe how close Christmas is and then New Years and then Emma turns 4! I cannot believe that! Where does the time go? :)

Count Your Many Blessings...

2009-11-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I realize this is a few days early, but we will be going to Las Vegas to have turkey day with the Fleming Family and I probably won't have time to post.

As a kid, this was not my favorite holiday. I much preferred Halloween and Christmas, but as I have gotten older I understand how much more important this holiday is. To remember everything I have been blessed with in my life and to appreciate these moments.

I am so thankful for my family. Phil and Emma are the greatest gifts I could have been given. They are the sunshine and hope in my day. I am thankful for my family(nuts included) and for Phil's family. Life would be nothing without everyone we share it with. I could not even imagine... I am thankful for all of our friends. They suprise us and remind us how fun life can be. I am so thankful for our health. I look around and see how fortunate we are that ear infections have been our biggest worry. To think some poor mother and father out there watch helpless or that a father or mother may even leave their family early....to know there is real suffering just breaks my heart. We are so so so blessed. I am thankful for our country. That we are free to pursue our own happiness and make our own destiny. I can be free to believe as I may. How truly lucky we are. These are but a few things, but all in all, I am greatful to god and his design. Without it I would be lost. It is with this purpose that I can even be here to be thankful. I am grateful for his plan and I am thankful for my life! To all a Happy Holiday! May we remember all our many blessings and what is most important in our lives all year through. Happy Thanksgiving!

New Ward

2009-11-15T17:43:00.000-08:00

So our bishopric stopped by today after church. I, however, thought they seemed unfamiliar, but since we are still fairly new, I thought I was just being silly. We invited them in and visited for a bit, only to find out that for the last 2 months we have been going to the wrong ward! How funny is that?!? When we moved we had looked up our ward and time online thru LDS.org and never even gave it a second thought. Well, apparently back in July there were 3 ward splits and the web isn't updated yet. When we told our old bishop we were moving, they forwarded our records for us and that's how the new bishopric found us. Thank heavens or we'd still be going to the wrong ward! Isn't that funny?

A day in the leaves

2009-11-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the unusually warm weather and headed to Liberty Park. We fed the ducks and geese and made a huge leaf pile which Emma threw herself into over and over. Emma ran around and went down the slides and made a little friend as she always does. They pretended to be working at Burger King and were asking anyone who walked by if they wanted a Whopper Jr. Where do kids come up with this stuff? I thought it was fantastic! See the little slide show below. Took the pics with just the camera phone, but you get the jist. Fun day in the fall leaves!

2009-11-09T13:56:00.001-08:00

Trick or Treat!

2009-11-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

This year Emma was determined to be SilverMist from the Tinkerbelle movie. I found the costume at Walmart, but lets face it, fairy cotumes aren't very warm, so I had to put it in on over her warm clothes. We went out a little later than normal and the neighborhood was ransacked! Kids were everywhere again and houses even had notes on their doors saying they ran out of candy. That happened to us last year. BUT, besides the chilly weather, Emma had a great time as she ran from door to door, saying, "Trick r Treat!" and "Happy Hallowen!" And so we went around for about 3 streets while Emma said, " Mom, Dad, Hurry! The next house!" I don't think she noticed the cold until she slowed down because it wasnt until we were headed back to our car that she said, " My feet are cold. My hands are cold. I'm cold!" Phil laughed so hard I thought he might pee his pants. :) Emma had a great time and she's already planning next year! :)

Just before Halloween, It looked like this....

2009-11-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

It snowed a few days before Halloween. Luckily it melted by then, but the frigid air stayed. I think Winter is upon us.